Very few people enjoy packing. Stuffing clothes, toiletries and basically everything you need for a couple of weeks into a tiny space can be frustrating at the best of times. And with things like airline baggage limits, the pressure to pack more into less space has never been greater.
But it can be easy to pack if you know a few tips and tricks. The tips in this slideshow can help basically everybody because everyone needs to travel now and then!
So if you want to pack with ease, fit more stuff in your bags, then simply read the tips in this article. You won’t believe you used to pack in any other way!
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Interns DC
1.) You Can Fit So Much Into A Pair Of Shoes
Shoes take up a lot of room in a suitcase, yet they’re an essential item. But you can use a pair of shoes to your advantage easily. Just fold up some of your stuff really tight (socks, pantyhose, and bras for example) and stuff them inside.
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Sara Laughed
2.) Fold All Your Clothes Into A One Big Neat Bundle
If your clothes are always bursting out of the suitcase, that’s because you’re packing them wrong. The most efficient way is to fold them all together into a cube.
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NBC News/YouTube
3.) Shirts and Underwear Can Be Rolled and Stuffed Into Socks
One shirt and a pair of underwear folded together take up the space of a pair of socks. And if you fold a pair of socks over them, then they’ll stay packed like that throughout your journey.
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Lifehacker
4.) Square Fold Your Shirt and Then Use A Belt To Keep It Firm
Traveling with button-up shirts can be annoying. They always get wrinkled, meaning that they have to be ironed when you get to your destination. But if you fold it like how shirts come in packages and line the collar with a belt, they stay smooth.
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Pandatrot
5.) Put Foundation and Makeup Remover Into Contact Cases
The liquid size restrictions on planes are a real headache. Some stuff is hard to find in travel-friendly bottles! One easy way of getting around this is squirting a bit of your vital liquid beauty products into contact cases. They’ll keep it secure and plane friendly!
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Pixnio
6.) Put Thin Plastic Sheets Between a Bottle and Its Cap
Some supposedly travel-friendly bottles still manage to leak like crazy. But a thin sheet of plastic placed over the opening of the bottle and underneath the screw on top stops this from happening!
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Flickr
7.) Put Jewelry in a Pill Case
You won’t need to worry about your jewelry getting damaged when it’s in this.
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Flickr
8.) Necklaces can be Kept in Straws
Just thread the chain into a straw and clasp it on the other side. It’ll stop the necklace from tangling!
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Nicole Abdou
9.) Create Little Packets of Shampoo by Burning Straws
Simply put a lighter to one end of a straw until the two ends melt together. Let it cool. Pour some shampoo/conditioner/toothpaste in and then melt together the other end. You’ve got a one day dose of shampoo in the tiniest possible container!
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Thrifty Fun
10.) Shirts Can Seal Themselves up
Use the same theory as packing jeans. Fold the bottom of the shirt upwards slightly, fold in half, roll to over the first fold and then seal it up!
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Unbound Merino
11.) Jeans can Seal Themselves up
Just fold out the waist of a pair of jeans, fold the legs over each other, roll up the legs over one end of the fold and unfold the other half.
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Thaitrick
12.) Underwear Can Also Seal Itself
Using the same method as the shirts and jeans folding, seal up underwear. Only this time you have to fold it from the waist opening over the leg holes without making that little first fold. Then fold the two ends in on the underwear and roll the crotch flap over the folds. You’ll see an opening from the waist hole. Hold that over the entire underwear, and it’ll be sealed up good!
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Wikihow
13.) Pack Stuff Into a Hat
Hats are other items that, depending on the design, take up too much space. But if you fill the hat with soft items, such as underwear or socks, then it will use more space, and the socks will protect its shape.
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Flickr
14.) Get a Light Case
It’s obvious when you think about it. The less a case weighs, the more stuff you can take with you! Weight restrictions on airlines are way too small, so a lighter case can make all the difference.
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Lucas
15.) Put the Heavy Stuff Next to the Wheels
It’s a lesson in gravity that most packers forget, but your bag’s wheels will be on the ground when you’re walking. That means all your items will press down on that area. You don’t want delicate things there! Put them at the top of the bag.
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Maxpixel
16.) Fold Your Clothing Inside Out
The odds of getting a stain on your clothes is reduced if the clothes are inside out. It’s still a risk, but it’s much less likely to seep through to the front.
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Looks Gud
17.) Match Clothes to Your Itinerary
To save on bringing clothes that you won’t even wear, look at what you’ve got planned to do. Then you should only pack clothes that match those activities.
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Flickr
18.) Use Shower Caps to Cover Your Shoes
Shoes are dirty by their nature. They stomp through so much dirt, that it’s gross to think of packing them with all your other stuff. A shower cap can help keep your other things clean, however. Just put your shoes in one!
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One Crazy House
19.) Place Clothes Inside Dry Cleaning Bags Before Folding
You can fold clothes after they’re in a dry cleaning bag. This allows you to keep the item from wrinkling.
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Flickr
20.) Put Underwear in a Bra Cup
It saves space and will let the cups maintain their form.
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Flickr
21.) Put a Cotton Pad in Compacts
It stops the product from crumbling away.
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Wikipedia
22.) Put Glass Bottles in a Sock/Panty Hose
It gives the item extra protection. And should the glass break, then it won’t get everywhere.
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Flickr
23.) Put a Rubber Band Over a Book to Stop It Getting Bent
Two rubber bands, one for length and one for width, do wonders.
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Flickr
24.) Put Hair Straighteners/Curling Irons in an Oven Mitt
Not only will it protect the hair straightener, but it will also be a handy surface that the straighteners can rest on at the hotel.
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Flickr
25.) If You’re Carrying-On, Wear Your Heavier Items
If you’re only taking a small carry-on bag with you, be sure to wear the bulkier items while you travel so that they don’t take up space in your bag. For example, if you’re taking boots and a heavy jacket, wear them on the plane. It might be a bit of a pain going through security, but it will save you so much space in your bag.
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Flickr
26.) Write ‘Fragile’ in English and the Language of Where You’re Going to
It doesn’t hurt to remind airline workers and others that your items are precious!
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Wikipedia
27.) Always Bring a Sarong (or Two!)
Sarongs are a godsend when it comes to traveling–they are so incredibly useful! You can use them as light blankets on the plane or in a freezing airport, cover your shoulders when visiting temples or churches, and, of course, you can use them while at the beach or the pool. No matter where you go–pack your sarong.
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Flickr
28.) Invest in Some Packing Cubes
If you’re an avid traveler and haven’t been using packing cubes–you’re totally missing out. Packing cubes can help keep things organized and tidy; for example, pack only shirts in one and pants in another. That way, you know exactly what to grab from your bag without unfolding everything inside.
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Flickr
29.) Don’t Worry About Packing Soap
Nearly every hotel, motel, or hostel offers soap or shower gel. So, there’s no need to take up space in your bag by bringing your own. The only exception to this would be if you require special soap for sensitive skin or if you plan on camping.
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Wikimedia
30.) Be Careful with Your Cords
Phone chargers, laptop charging cords, and headphones are often tossed in our luggage haphazardly at the very end. Please don’t do that–it can cause them to break at the seam near the surge protector. Instead, use a small makeup bag or purse to keep them all wrapped and separate from all of your other clothes and toiletries.
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Public Domain Pictures
31.) Keep All Liquids Together
It’s probably tempting to keep some face wash in your carry-on and some contact solution in your purse, but make it easier on yourself by keeping liquids all in one spot–especially if you’re carrying on. By keeping liquids together in one area, it will make it so much easier to go through security.
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Flickr
32.) Buy a Luggage Scale
Nothing is worse than going to check a bag and they tell you that it’s over the weight limit. Each pound that is over the limit can cost an exorbitant amount of money. Prevent this stressful fiasco by purchasing a small luggage scale. That way, you know exactly how much weight you’ll be bringing.
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Wikimedia
33.) Use Glad ‘Press’n Seal’ to Keep Jewelry Organized
Lay out your jewelry on a sheet of Glad Press’n Seal then seal it all in place with another sheet. It’s almost like vacuum-packing but without the need for a vacuum sealer. It will prevent your necklaces from becoming tangled and your earrings from becoming separated.
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Flickr
34.) Or Use an Empty Mint Container
Another great way to keep jewelry separate and organized is by placing them in an empty plastic mint container. This won’t prevent any tangling, but it will keep all of your jewelry safe and sound in one spot.
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Flickr
35.) Buttons Can Keep Earrings Together
Fasten earrings through the holes of a button before packing them. This handy little trick will keep the pair together and prevent you from missing a stud or a backing.
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Flickr
36.) Keep Delicates in Cloth Bags
Sometimes new purses or shoes come in cloth bags. Hang on to those bags because they are so useful when it comes to packing. They’re perfect for keeping delicate clothing like bras, underwear, lingerie, or slips protected in your bag.
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Non Woven Bag
37.) Pack Perfume Inside Socks
If you’re bringing your favorite bottle of perfume along with you on your trip, the last thing you need is for it to break open spilling perfume and broken glass everywhere. Keep it safe with a little bit of cushion by stuffing the bottle into a thick sock.
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Pixabay
38.) Put Lotions and Creams in Contact Cases
If you don’t want to bring an entire bottle of lotion with your, or perhaps the bottle is in your checked luggage, you can keep a small amount with you inside contact cases. It’s the perfect amount to keep in your purse to use when your skin gets dry on the plane.
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Wikimedia
39.) Always Bring a Pen on International Flights
Keep a pen or two in your carry-on luggage when traveling abroad. You’re going to need to complete immigration and customs forms–flight attendants do not give out pens to fill them out. So, be sure to bring your own.
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Flickr
40.) If You’re Backpacking, Don’t Forget a Rain Cover
If a backpack is what you’re carrying for luggage, you’ll want to be sure to invest in a rain cover if it didn’t come with one already. The last thing you’ll want is to be caught in a downpour only to have the rain seep through the bag getting everything wet.
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Flickr
41.) Consider Your Medications
This is important for international travel. Before packing your non-prescription or prescription medications, make sure that they are legal and allowed in the country you are visiting. Be sure to look up any documentation that they may require or you could end up finding yourself in big trouble.
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Public Domain Pictures
42.) Can You Buy It Locally?
When packing for your trip, you might be on the edge of whether or not to bring something. If it takes too much space or could be too messy (toiletries, extra batteries, etc.), ask yourself if you can buy whatever it is locally. You could always by it at your destination.
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Flickr
43.) Bring a Mesh Bag for Laundry
You don’t want to put sweaty or stinky clothes next to your clean, unworn clothes when you’re packing. Keep them separate with a mesh or canvas bag. Also, this way you know what needs to go to laundry and what can still be worn.
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Pinterest
44.) Use Matching Luggage Tags
If you’re traveling with a group or as a family, consider using matching luggage tags, so they’re easy to spot when you’re picking it up at the carousel. The brighter the color or zanier the pattern, the better!
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Groupon
45.) Keep Your Bag and Clothes Smelling Fresh
Place a dryer sheet inside your luggage to keep the bag and all of your clothes smelling nice and fresh. When you open it up after a long trip, it will smell like it just came out of the dryer.
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Flickr
46.) Mark As Fragile–Even If It’s Not
If you’re worried that the luggage handlers aren’t going to be very gentle with your bag, mark it as “fragile” and it’s possible they’ll be a bit more careful. Even if nothing in the bag is actually fragile, it may cause them to be nicer to your belongings.
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Flickr
47.) Fold Soap in a Wash Cloth
Even though we advise against packing your own soap (there’s just no need), we suggest to fold your bar of soap in a wash cloth if you have to bring it. This way, it will prevent it from getting all yucky in a plastic bag.
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Thrifty Fun
48.) Keep Snacks Cold with a Frozen Sponge
“Frozen sponges are a great way to keep your plane snacks cold. Not to mention, you’ll get through security without an hassle. Just put the frozen sponge and your snack in a Ziploc bag together and you’ve got you’re own portable freezer,” recommends Hopscotch the Globe.
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Imgur
49.) Conditioner Is Versatile
Instead of packing multiple toiletries or items, ask yourself if your hair conditioner can accomplish the same thing. For example, condition can be used as shoe polish, shaving cream, and makeup remover.
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Wikimedia
50.) Bring a Pillow Case
Sometimes we end up in hotels or hostels that seem a little rough around the edges. To help make yourself feel good about where you’ll be laying your head at night, bring your own pillow case.
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Flickr
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With these tips, you can stop worrying about whether you can bring all your stuff and the best ways to transport it. Instead, you can focus on the destination and what you’re going to do when you’re there!
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